Cash-for-vote scam: Arguments on charge begin

To frame the charges on the Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh BJP leader LK Advanis former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni, BJP MP Ashok Argal and four other accused the prosecution has began arguments.

Prosecution began arguments on framing charges in the five year old cash for vote scam.

The other accused in the case include former BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahabir Singh Bhagora, Suhail Hindustani and Amar Singh’s former aide Sanjeev Saxena.

Appearing before special judge Narottam Kaushal, solicitor general Mohan Parasaran said, “The argument that the entire thing was a sting is not correct.”

During the hearing, the SG elaborated on the role of the accused saying, “As far as Hindustani is concerned, it is quite clear that he was the main conspirator and he was the one who got in touch with vulnerable BJP leaders.”

Hindustani met S P Gupta, Aman Arora and Lovely Singh (all cited as prosecution witnesses) and offered names of the three BJP MPs, Parasaran said, adding that he met Kulkarni and they conspired to contact the news channel to do a sting.

On Kulkarni’s role, Parasaran said, “Their argument is that the entire thing was a sting. But no… Kulkarni had twin objects, one was the sting operation and other was the bribe.” The court was also told that it was on Kulkarni’s directions that Hindustani started contacting people in Samajwadi Party.

As the SG narrated the sequence of events of various meetings between the accused persons and their movement, the defence objected and contended that the prosecution could not describe the scenes on its own when it is there in the CD. At this point, a part of the CD was played in the court.

Parasaran also said BJP MPs Argal, Kulaste and Bhagora fell under the same category and had the entire episode been a sting, they would have informed law enforcement agencies. On Saxena, the prosecution said he was the person who carried the money to Singh’s residence.

The court has fixed the matter for hearing for Saturday when the defence will begin its arguments.

The first chargesheet in the matter was filed in August 2011 in which all but Argal were named as accused.

Delhi Police has filed three supplementary chargesheets and Argal was named as accused in the second supplementary chargesheet. In the first chargesheet, police had accused Amar Singh and Kulkarni of “conspiring” and “masterminding” the scam to bribe some MPs ahead of the July 22, 2008 confidence vote in Lok Sabha.

All the accused have been booked under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and for criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code. The case was registered in 2009 on recommendation by a parliamentary panel which had probed the scam.